Empty pews after Orara Valley Parish Council sacked

In small communities churches are the town’s heartbeats. But the Glenreagh Anglican Church’s heart and soul has left the building as parishioners choose to desert their beloved church.

Former Glenreagh Church Warden George Bennett says parishioners are meeting in homes rather than at the church after the whole Orara Valley Parish Council was sacked.

“It means the Anglican Church in the Orara Valley is just about finished,” he told The Daily Examiner.

The Orara Valley Parish Council has been replaced with a Transitional Ministry District in a restructure by The Anglican Diocese of Grafton.

According to Mr Bennett, the majority of the Orara Valley parishioners, which includes congregations from the Glenreagh, Nana Glen and Orara churches, are walking out of the churches in droves.

“Some members of the Parish Council are fourth generation,” says Mr Bennett. “You can imagine the level of hurt and disbelief. This has absolutely devastated the church community and now we choose to meet in homes rather than attend the church.”

“It leaves us disillusioned,” he said.

The Anglican Diocese of Grafton’s Diocesan Restructuring Process responded to the claims by stating “The former parish council, which represented the three church communities, was replaced with a management committee to help guide it in restructuring.”

NANA GLEN CHURCH SOLD

A spokesman for the Anglican Diocese of Grafton further stated there are no plans to sell the Glenreagh Church and announced that the Nana Glen Anglican Church was sold in December by private sale.

“No details of the price will be released,” said the spokesman for the Anglican Diocese of Grafton.

In response Mr Bennett asked, “Where is the money going?”

Following the 2014 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, The Anglican Diocese of Grafton is participating in the National Redress Scheme for survivors of institutional sexual abuse.